The Reason
by jessmerrick
Summary: How could he possibly have survived, all this time? How could he keep going? When for 2 years, he's been dead to me?
1. The Call

**The Reason  
**

Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey nodded to Sgt. Davis as he made his way down the corridor, passing her with a quick "ma'am."

Distracted, she bumped in to Siler, almost knocking him over. "Oh, god, I'm sorry!"Siler shook his head, "not a problem, ma'am.""Yes Siler, it is a problem. I almost knocked you over. I should really watch where I'm going. I'm so sorry," she apologised. He frowned and then smiled, not expecting Jennifer Hailey to be stood here apologising repeatedly. He knew her fairly well now, though. She'd changed a lot. Her reputation, sadly, hadn't. Most of the officers still thought she had an attitude. "I've gotta run, bad day...later!"She jogged off to the lab to find it was completely empty. Empty, except for the huge stack of paperwork lying in her In Tray. She growled. This really was going to be a bad day."Better make a start on it," she told herself, sitting down and taking a pen from the pot. She put it down on the desk and quickly checked her e- mails instead. "Memo, memo, meeting, memo, science geeks meetup, check-up, memo."She read through the subject lines and deleted a few, and then clicked in to the rest. Once she had finished, she found another memo had come in. "I wonder if Colonel O'Neill really does have a Memo Faerie like he claims – to steal his memos," she pondered, "I wonder if I could get one..."Smiling at the thought of that argument between Daniel and O'Neill – she was sure Jack had come up with the whole Faerie thing to annoy him – she closed down the inbox and returned to her work."Paperwork," she said, picking up her pen and taking the first file from the tray.Suddenly, the alarm sounded. The Stargate was activating. Someone was coming through. She paused, wondering who it was this time. "Paperwork," she repeated.A few minutes later, the phone rang. She sighed, stood up and answered it. "Hailey," She announced. "Oh, hi, Doctor." Her face turned white as she listened. "Oh. My. God."

* * *

To Be Continued... 


	2. The Mission

  
  
- Two Days Earlier –

Samantha Carter hummed to herself as she sat by the campfire on PLX168, writing in her notebook.  
  
As he emerged from his tent, Jack heard her and smiled. He silently sat down on the log opposite.  
  
Pausing, and obviously looking up while thinking, she spotted him grinning as he watched her. She smiled, slightly self-consciously. "Sir?"  
  
"You were humming," he told her, rummaging through his pack and finding his canteen. He took a drink.  
  
"I was? Sorry!" She blushed, looking down.  
  
"No...you looked happy," he replied. There was silence for a moment, until he said, "ER."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"ER. That's what you were humming," he replied. "That British chick is hot. That's why I watch it."  
  
"Right..." Sam laughed. "Sir, how far do you think we've travelled today?"  
  
"If you count the Gate journey, not a clue. But on this planet, I'd say...8 miles?" Jack shrugged.  
  
"Thought so," she agreed. "That leaves four for tomorrow morning, then we should be in the village."  
  
"Good," he nodded, swatting a bug. "I don't like this planet. Mud, mud, bugs, mud, trees, mud and did I mention the mud?"  
  
"I know...it is rather...swampy. But I'm sure when we reach the village area it should be a lot nicer," she assured him. "Daniel and Teal'C?" She wondered.  
  
"Teal'C is checking the area again. Daniel is asleep already," Jack sighed.

* * *

The team were all up by 7am sharp the next morning. They were not exactly at ease, what with the heat and the bugs and all. After a quick breakfast, they departed for the village, guessing they'd arrive by about 9.  
  
Jack checked his watch as they set foot in the village, which was named Coralle. "9:06 good prediction, Carter." He noted, patting her on the back.  
  
To their amazement, the villagers didn't seem to be afraid of them. After a few minutes, one man ran up smiling and waving his arms around like a madman. He scanned them quickly. Jack wondered if he might actually be a madman. "You are from Earth?" he asked.  
  
"Yes...Carter, have we been here before? As in the SGC?" Jack frowned. He didn't remember coming. He'd have remembered not to come back.  
  
"No sir, I am postitive we have not visited this world before," Carter confirmed. The villager laughed.  
  
"No, you have not visited here. None of your 'teams,' at least," he told them. "I am Liate. Come with me, I shall explain."  
  
"Okay. Liate, I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, this is Teal'C, Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter," O'Neill added, as they followed him into a building that resembled a very crappy Doctors Surgery.  
  
He lead them in to a small room at the back of the establishment, and Sam gasped, removed her pack, took out a medical kit and ran to the side of the single bed. "Oh god...oh god."  
  
"It can't be...he's..." O'Neill began, as he stared at the man lying on the bed. "...Dead..."  
  
"Looks fairly alive for a dead man, sir," Carter remarked.  
  
"I suggest you take him back to your Earth. He has been with us many months, and he is still unwell. We do what we can for him, but he is in need of better care. He has told me of your world, of your technology and medicine," Liate told them.  
  
"He's been awake?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Sir, we need to get him back to the SGC," She reported.  
  
"Agreed. Teal'C, Daniel," Jack commanded. Teal'C and Daniel nodded, picking the body up. "We'll send another unit. We need to talk. But right now...we gotta take care of him."  
  
"I understand," the alien smiled.  
  
"Let's go!"

* * *

To Be Continued...


	3. The Patient

**The Reason  
**  
Part Three: The Patient  
  
By Jolinar at Carter

* * *

Jennifer ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart pounding, and a range of thoughts swimming about in her head, making her dizzy.She crossed the infirmary and stopped, infront of the middle bed.It was him.She just stood there, hardly feeling the icy tears that were running down her cheeks. She cried out loud, something she rarely did, in complete disbelief.Carter stood up, smiled slightly, and then left her alone with the patient."Steven, oh god, Steven," She cried as she sat down in Carter's seat, beside the bed. She took his hand, and kissed him on the forehead before sitting back, trying to process everything.They had left him to die.He had been captured.Two years ago.Two years.Tortured.He had escaped.Managed to travel to that planet.Stayed there for months or more, with no hope of getting home.No GDO.Two years.How could he have survived that long? With no real hope of a rescue?'I couldn't have done it,' she told herself. 'I could not have survived that long. I thought he was dead after two weeks of being missing. I accepted it. Tried to move on. While, all along, he was alive. Oh god, Steven.'She wiped her eyes and rested her head on his chest."Oh Steven," she whispered. "I missed you so much, my love. I'm so, so, so, sorry my love."

* * *

Sorry it's short... 


	4. The Awakening

**The Reason Part Four  
  
By Jolinar at Carter**

Thank you for all the feedback, please keep it coming! It helps me write faster!

* * *

Samantha Carter walked carefully down the hall and in to the infirmary, carrying two cups of coffee. She entered the room to see Jennifer Hailey sitting, holding Steven's hand. She was still crying.

"Hey," Sam said gently. Jen looked up and smiled, wiping her eyes."Oh god, I look horrible don't I?" Jen laughed, taking one of the coffees from her. "Thanks.""No, you look fine. Besides, it's only me," Sam took a sip of her coffee. "How you holding up? Must be very hard...""Yeah, yeah it is. I'm okay, I mean, we were just friends, right?" Jen sniffed. "I missed him so much. But I thought for sure he was dead. I grieved for him, and I tried to move on. And I feel so...guilty. I moved on, and he was still alive being tortured by some snakehead.""I know what you mean...the guilt. We left him...I left him there. I still can't believe he's there though. There was such a slim chance of him surviving. Yet he survived. It's incredible. It's a miracle. I can't think of any other word for it," Sam sighed. "Janet says she can help him, heal him. I'm not sure what she said was wrong with him...but she said he'll be okay.""Besides the torture, besides the damage from that. What will it have done to him? Oh god, poor Steven," Jen exclaimed, and then lowered her voice, and sighed again."Elliott is a tough kid. He made it this far, he'll get through. And I know he'll have you there to help him.""Yes, he will," Jen nodded. "I will be here.""Try and get some rest. He might not wake up for a good while, we're not sure," Sam requested, before adding, "don't make me order you.""One of the nurses said I can crash in here, as it's empty. I think I might do that. I lost him for so long, I don't want to leave him,""All right," Sam agreed. "I think I'd be the same.""I doubt it, ma'am," Hailey frowned. "You're a lot stronger than me.""Of that, I'm not so sure," Sam replied, before walking off.

* * *

Janet looked up at the clock, and closed her file. It was time for her to be leaving. She stood up, tidied up her desk and then headed for the door. She turned off the light, closed the door and then decided to check on her only patient.She found him, still asleep. She looked over to the next bed, to see Hailey lying on top of the covers, eyes tightly shut. She smiled, and headed for the door.She turned around as she reached the threshold, and blinked. She could have sworn he had just opened his eyes slightly. When he did it again, she grinned and jogged over to his bedside. She took his hand. "Hailey, Hailey, get up!" She called, before looking at Elliott again. "Lieutenant? Lieutenant Elliott?"Hailey's eyes snapped open and she was at the Doctor's side in an instant. "Steven? Steven?" She called. Janet let go of his hand and Jennifer took it in hers.His eyes opened half way, and he slowly looked up. The corners of his mouth moved slightly, as if he were trying to smile. "Hi," Jen smiled. "Oh, hi. Hey." 


	5. The Briefing

**The Reason  
Part Five: The Awakening**

-

"Hi," Jen smiled. "Oh, hi. Hey!" She sniffed, tears streaming down her cheeks and landing on his bruised face.

"Dream," he whispered, sadly looking up at his old friend.

"No, no, you're here Steven. I'm real, this is real," Hailey assured him, squeezing his hand even tighter. "You're back home now. Everything is okay."

"This isn't real," he said again, silently crying. And then he shut his eyes. "Not real," he whispered again.

"Doctor?" Jen said, looking up at Janet.

"Jennifer, he's been through a lot. Give it time. He's confused...they probably tortured him endlessly...images and scenes of home...Sam can explain it better, but they can get in to your memories, pose as people..." She explained, putting a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "As you...as O'Neill...his father...anyone. He may have seen your face through all of that, he may have imagined you...who knows. But it's likely that he saw your face at some point back there, dreaming you had come to rescue him. So is it suprising he thinks it's another dream?"

"Oh god," She cried, "No. No it isn't. How do I convince him it's real?"

Janet smiled, "you need to stay with him. Talk with him. Be there."

"I can do that," the Lieutenant nodded.

"Yes, I think you can. Don't worry too much about him. He's been through a lot, but I remember going through this with several other patients. They have a hard time, but they do get better. Look at Sarah Gardener, she was host to Osiris for three years. She is now leading a...not exactly normal...but she's leading her life. After all she went through, she's living."

"That's different, but, yeah. You're right," Jen smiled, taking a tissue from the pack in her pocket, and wiping her eyes. "Have his parents been informed yet?"

"I don't believe so, no," Janet replied.

"I see. I think I will go and see if I can be the one to do it," She decided. "I knew his family, we were good friends, Steven and I. I want to be the one to explain all of this."

"Okay," The Doctor agreed. "I'll take care of Elliott, don't worry about him. You should get something to eat, while you're gone. You must be starved."

"Thanks," Jen nodded, taking a tissue from her pocket and wiping her eyes. "I won't be long."

--

Determined to speak to General Hammond, Jennifer marched in to the Briefing Room, expecting it to be empty, and for him to be in his office as usual. Instead, she found she had walked straight in to a Mission Briefing.

Hammond frowned and looked at her, but then sat back is his chair. "Is there something I can do for you, Lieutenant?" He asked.

"My apologies sir," she began, but trailed off when O'Neill raised his hand in a casual wave. She took his smile as a sign to continue. "Well, I wanted to inform you that Lieutenant Elliott woke up earlier today. He is asleep again. He believed he was dreaming, that he isn't really here..."

"I expected as much," O'Neill said to Hammond.

"I was wondering if you had informed his parents yet?" She asked, hoping that he hadn't.

"No, I have not informed Lieutenant Elliott's parents," Hammond replied. "And I do not intend to until they can visit him."

"I think that's best, sir," Hailey nodded. "However, I was hoping that you might let me inform them, when the time comes."

"I'll consider it," He replied. "Was there anything else I can do for you? SG-1 have a meeting Off World in less than an hour, and they need to prepare."

"Well..." She began, wondering if she should continue. She couldn't control it any longer, and she turned red. "What happened to no one gets left behind? He was left. You left him to that awful fate. You didn't think he could survive, and he did. You should have known sir," she turned to O'Neill now, "you should have known he had a chance of survival. Found a way to get him back. He rotted in some Goa'uld prison for over a year because you decided to leave him behind! God knows what he's been through because of you! You left him!"

"Lieutenant, I understand that you are under a lot of stress, but this is not appropriate," Hammond warned her. "What happened to Steven Elliott was not Colonel O'Neill's fault. A decision was made, and having read the mission files, I agree that it was the right decision. I am sorry for the Lieutenant, and I wish things could have turned out differently. But I stand by Colonel O'Neill. I am extremely pleased to have found Elliott alive, I really am. I'm warning you, though, you do not speak to myself or Colonel O'Neill like that again. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir," Hailey nodded, regretting most of what she had said. She snapped a salute, aimed at all three of the officers, and turned around. She then marched out of the room as fast as humanly possible.

--

After the briefing had finished, O'Neill went in search of Hailey. He found her on his first try. She was sat beside Elliott, holding his hand. He stood in the doorway for a minute, and then coughed. As she saw him, she dropped his hand and stood to attention.

"Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to express..." She began, but O'Neill cut her off.

"It's okay," He told her, walking over and sitting down. "It's okay. You caught Hammond in a bad mood. And, as for what you said to me, I agree. I've been thinking exactly the same myself, since we found him. But, what happened happened, and I can't change that. I'm sorry he got left behind, but sometimes a mission is more important than a man. He knew that. He told us to leave him, and by doing so, he saved our butts."

"I don't blame you, sir," Hailey said, after a long silent pause. "Since you found him, I've been thinking, God how can he be alive? How could he possibly have survived, all this time? How could he keep going? When for 2 years, he's been dead to me? I gave up on him and moved on. I feel bad for me. I feel guilty. I'm thinking of me more than Steve. That's so awful."

"No, it isn't." He smiled, as he stood up. He patted her on the shoulder. "No, it isn't."

--

To Be Continued. Sorry that chapter let the fic down a little...but I got a bit stuck on this bit.


End file.
